1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to an attachment assembly for an air bag module housing and cover, and more particularly to a module housing and cover attachment assembly having integral fastening means.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Conventional passenger air bag module assemblies consist of a module housing enclosing an inflator and air bag, and a cover which interfaces with both the module housing and vehicle instrument panel (IP). Due to high deployment forces the attachment between the module housing and cover must be strong and reliable.
Multiple fasteners are typically used to attach the cover to the module housing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,946 discloses separate retaining clips for securing the cover and housing together during inflation of the air bag. Another common attachment scheme is the use of a plurality of independent fasteners, such as bolts, etc.
One problem with such prior art assemblies is that the components are hard to assemble, increasing manufacturing time and costs. Another problem is that these separate fastening means are not entirely reliable, which could result in passenger injury if any pieces of the cover were to break free during inflation of the air bag.